What, no big monster characters?
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posted04/03/2019 04:16 AM (UTC)by
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Gorozilla
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02/19/2011 08:26 AM (UTC)

Throughout it's long history Mortal Kombat has always had two types of characters in every single game. The first and most obvious one that everyone associates with MK are the ninjas of course. Counting both male and female ninjas there's about 15 of em'. Unless you don't count maskless Sub Zero and Noob Saibot (pitch black Kano) in MK3, every single game features a bare minimum of 2 ninjas. Everybody loves ninjas after all.

The other type that doesn't get as much love are the big brutish monsters. You know who I'm talking about, the inhuman beasts who typically serve as sub-bosses and final bosses. Every last Mortal Kombat game has had one of these goliaths and nearly every single game introduces a new one:

MK1: Goro.
MK2: Kintaro.
MK3: Sheeva and Motaro.
MKT: Goro, Kintaro, Sheeva, and Motaro all return.
MK4 and MKG: Goro is the sub-boss for the home console ports.
MKDA: Moloch
MKD: Onaga, Goro returns for the GC version.
MKA: Blaze, all prior examples return.
MKvsDC: Dark Kahn.
MK9: All three Shokans return.
MKX: Corrupted Shinnok, Torr. Goro returns as well.

Even if they aren't as appreciated as the ninjas there's no denying MK has a history of big and monstrous characters being in each game. MK is all about spectacle and terrifyingly large in charge villains are always there to provide it. Being a big monster fan this has always been something I love about MK. Despite being a celebration of MK's history though the newest game looks to feature none of these characters returning as anything more than corpses in the background. Unless Kronika or whoever the sub-boss is has some sort of monstrous form, or they're keeping something hidden from us, this game won't be introducing any new ones either.

What are your thoughts on this? I feel like not enough MK fans really care about these characters despite big beastly brutes being an MK tradition since day one. I'm keeping my hopes up Goro makes it in as DLC myself hahaha.

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SmokeSignals
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The real Smoke.

04/03/2019 07:42 AM (UTC)
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Goro won't be DLC, he's dead in the back of a stage.

We do have Shao Kahn, Kotal Kahn as bigger characters in this game I guess? Kollector is another shokan-type but he's quite slender tbh.

I can't see us getting Kintaro, Goro or Motaro as DLC unfortunately.

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chadspade
04/03/2019 09:46 AM (UTC)
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Kollector kinda seems like he will cover this aspect.

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Spirit_Wolf
04/03/2019 09:48 AM (UTC)
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I'm indeed missing the "monsters" like Goro, Kintaro, Motaro and Moloch. These kind of beastly brutes are part of Mortal Kombat I think. And with MKX, they showed with Goro that these brutes work gameplay-wise as playable characters, not just as sub-bosses.
I still hope they have one of them as a surprise or something.

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newt27
04/03/2019 11:31 AM (UTC)
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I actually think Kotal (in combination with Shao Kahn) will fill this role nicely. During the Kombat Kast they did say Kotal "plays like a boss". Add in Cetrion who can grow beyond beastly in size and in terms of gameplay at least, I think it's covered.

Oh yeah, Geras too.

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EndoScorpion
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============GET==OVER==HERE============>>

04/03/2019 12:03 PM (UTC)
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I think they're sticking to more humanoid designs. If you look at the more recent monsters: Baraka, D'Vorah, Kollector, Ferra/Tor, Corrupted Shinnok, etc. They're all still mostly bipedal humaniods. D'Vorah's extra limbs can be withdrawn inside her body like Baraka's blades... only time will tell if Kollector can do something similar (he looks like a Blue D'Vorah to me).

I'd love to see more variety though. Not just in size (Kotal towers over others, yet Shao seems to be even bigger), but in body shape too. Heck, I've been wishing for centaur Motaro to return. But I don't see it ever happening.

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At the risk of derailing the topic:
The only character I would call a "ninja" is Scorpion (and maybe Takeda). I've always been confused as to what other people define as "ninja". Only the palette-swaps? But what about Skarlet, Takeda, and Termor? Or is it just all masked characters? If the latter do you include Kabal, Erron, and Ferra/Torr - while excluding Tanya and Takeda? I get that people are trying to use it as a way to group certain characters together.... but without any clear definition it just doesn't make sense.

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Onaga
04/03/2019 12:16 PM (UTC)Edited 04/03/2019 12:19 PM (UTC)
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Scorpion1813

At the risk of derailing the topic:
The only character I would call a "ninja" is Scorpion (and maybe Takeda). I've always been confused as to what other people define as "ninja". Only the palette-swaps?

Yes. If they started out as pallet swaps, no matter how far they have been taken from their original appearance and been clearly defined as not being ninjas, people still call them ninjas. Sad but that's the way it is. It it seems most people prefer they stay in that mold as well.

But I would also consider Sub-Zero a ninja as well. I know I know he's not a ninja he's Lin Kuei but what the hell is the difference really?

On topic though, yeah it does seem NRS are just trying to make things easier for themselves these days, likely do to mechanics like X-ray moves and they don't want to put int he extra work to accommodate characters with more unique anatomy.

I don't like it, I will call it what it is, typical NRS laziness but what can ya do right?

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AgentK
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04/03/2019 02:49 PM (UTC)
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I wish Moloch comes back. He’s long overdue, and I quite liked his design. One of the more underrated sub-bosses.

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Locke
04/03/2019 02:51 PM (UTC)
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I think we'll have Sheeva back soon (wouldn't mind it because she does have potential)

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Onaga
04/04/2019 02:02 AM (UTC)
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AgentK

I wish Moloch comes back. He’s long overdue, and I quite liked his design. One of the more underrated sub-bosses.

Sadly I'm pretty sure that brooming off he and Drahmin got in that crap comic is being taken to heart by NRS and they are just considering them dead and gone. And with that depiction of them I say good riddance. They were practically portrayed as hellish Bulk and Skull.

And I'm not saying this as someone who hates Drahmin. He's one of my favorite characters.

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Detox
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You work with what you got...not what you hope for.

04/05/2019 02:07 AM (UTC)
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I had this same thought, recently. Goro and Ferra/Torr were fun characters in MKX and I’m sad a big monster character in the same vein doesn’t seem set to appear in MK11.

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MerdynnBlade
04/06/2019 06:00 AM (UTC)
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Visually i will miss them in the game. But to be really honest i never really cared to play as them seeing they overall are quite slow and really punishable if your opponent is faster. But i do get your point.

Kollector is cheating like D'Vorah, in that his extra limbs aren't always out, and he seems faster than the Shokans.

I agree they seem to be moving away from hard to animate/unconventional hitbox/competitively unfair non humanoid body types. They could even say the Elder Gods' rules for MK require a humanoid or relatively "human" shaped physical body in order to "fairly" compete, thus explaining Raiden's various troubles/limitations, and disqualifying animalistic/beastly/brute body types. Hotaru's flags, and Nitara's wings. If they made Nitara's wings retract like D'Vorah's limbs, she'd probably get complained about for copying Morrigan...

Ka-Tra

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Onaga
04/08/2019 02:16 PM (UTC)
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Tetra_Vega

Kollector is cheating like D'Vorah, in that his extra limbs aren't always out, and he seems faster than the Shokans.

I agree they seem to be moving away from hard to animate/unconventional hitbox/competitively unfair non humanoid body types. They could even say the Elder Gods' rules for MK require a humanoid or relatively "human" shaped physical body in order to "fairly" compete, thus explaining Raiden's various troubles/limitations, and disqualifying animalistic/beastly/brute body types. Hotaru's flags, and Nitara's wings. If they made Nitara's wings retract like D'Vorah's limbs, she'd probably get complained about for copying Morrigan...

Ka-Tra

Indeed the future is looking pretty dull and sterile for MK.

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barakall
04/08/2019 03:37 PM (UTC)
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You guys are whiny, my god. This game has the most monstruous characters, Kollector is a wide bodied freak with 4 arms, Baraka is the pure evil blade wielding demon and D'Vorah just a nasty sting bug. What more you gals want?

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Spider804
04/08/2019 03:48 PM (UTC)
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Actually Kollector has 6 arms, the other 2 are just holding his package

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darkwinter8
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Make our God of Wind playable again

04/08/2019 03:48 PM (UTC)
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I imagine Geras being the closest to the "big monster" in this game.

So apparently D'Vorah's appendages are out all the time now. We'll see her full glory later today.

I suppose the Kollector would look a lil silly waving all his arms around. Might not've been taken seriously.

Still most kombat is fought 2 arms/legs. Any extra appendages are only used during specials or are like Doc Ock's backpack.

This is about Motaro. Or maybe a mounted kavalry unit. MK3 did an excellent job incorporating him into the fighting system.

Ka-Tra

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VENOMOUS75
04/18/2019 05:42 PM (UTC)Edited 04/19/2019 06:31 PM (UTC)
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Scorpion1813

I think they're sticking to more humanoid designs. If you look at the more recent monsters: Baraka, D'Vorah, Kollector, Ferra/Tor, Corrupted Shinnok, etc. They're all still mostly bipedal humaniods. D'Vorah's extra limbs can be withdrawn inside her body like Baraka's blades... only time will tell if Kollector can do something similar (he looks like a Blue D'Vorah to me).

I'd love to see more variety though. Not just in size (Kotal towers over others, yet Shao seems to be even bigger), but in body shape too. Heck, I've been wishing for centaur Motaro to return. But I don't see it ever happening.

----

At the risk of derailing the topic:
The only character I would call a "ninja" is Scorpion (and maybe Takeda). I've always been confused as to what other people define as "ninja". Only the palette-swaps? But what about Skarlet, Takeda, and Termor? Or is it just all masked characters? If the latter do you include Kabal, Erron, and Ferra/Torr - while excluding Tanya and Takeda? I get that people are trying to use it as a way to group certain characters together.... but without any clear definition it just doesn't make sense.

If they're masked assassins/messengers, then they are ninjas. It doesn't matter what Dimension they are from, they serve in that same capacity.

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Onaga
04/19/2019 11:59 PM (UTC)
0
VENOMOUS75
Scorpion1813

I think they're sticking to more humanoid designs. If you look at the more recent monsters: Baraka, D'Vorah, Kollector, Ferra/Tor, Corrupted Shinnok, etc. They're all still mostly bipedal humaniods. D'Vorah's extra limbs can be withdrawn inside her body like Baraka's blades... only time will tell if Kollector can do something similar (he looks like a Blue D'Vorah to me).

I'd love to see more variety though. Not just in size (Kotal towers over others, yet Shao seems to be even bigger), but in body shape too. Heck, I've been wishing for centaur Motaro to return. But I don't see it ever happening.

----

At the risk of derailing the topic:
The only character I would call a "ninja" is Scorpion (and maybe Takeda). I've always been confused as to what other people define as "ninja". Only the palette-swaps? But what about Skarlet, Takeda, and Termor? Or is it just all masked characters? If the latter do you include Kabal, Erron, and Ferra/Torr - while excluding Tanya and Takeda? I get that people are trying to use it as a way to group certain characters together.... but without any clear definition it just doesn't make sense.

If they're masked assassins/messengers, then they are ninjas. It doesn't matter what Dimension they are from, they serve in that same capacity.

Except really when you break them down. Only about five characters in the series are actually ninjas. Scorpion and that's only what he was alive. Dead was was a full on brute. Sub-Zero, Smoke, Kitana and Mileena. Though if we're going by the new continuity, Mileena was never a ninja.

Ermac? A demigod who relies on full frontal assault.

Reptile? He's a slippery little guy but certainly not an assassin, he pretty much became a brute after MK3.

Rain? A pretty boy with the power over the weather.

Sektor? Once upon a time maybe, but I don't see it seeing how the guy before and after becoming a cyborg opperated like a T-800

Cyrax? Once upon a time maybe but certainly not after he had all his squishy parts replaced with machinery.

Jade? A warrior and bodyguard.

Tremor? I don't even know what the hell.

Noob Saibot? A wraith who though he has the power over the shadow, clearly never uses it for stealth.

Skarlet? Fuckin nope.

So there's the majority of the rainbow and only a handful actually qualify as ninjas and two only qualify because in a former life they were these things.

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Gillbob316
04/20/2019 03:56 AM (UTC)
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Picking apart the semantics of what defines a Ninja in the Mortal Kombat universe is a new and interesting topic that no one has ever discussed before and I haven't seen beaten to death in countless threads over the course of the last 20 years.

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Spider804
04/20/2019 04:01 AM (UTC)
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A true ninja is a master of himself and his environment

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Onaga
04/20/2019 11:30 AM (UTC)Edited 04/20/2019 11:33 AM (UTC)
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Gillbob316

Picking apart the semantics of what defines a Ninja in the Mortal Kombat universe is a new and interesting topic that no one has ever discussed before and I haven't seen beaten to death in countless threads over the course of the last 20 years.

I'm just saying, a lot of these characters aren't ninjas and to call them so due to their roots as memory and budget saving pallet swaps of Scorpion and Kitana is a shallow generalization and oversimplification of the characters.

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FistfulOfDatas
04/20/2019 03:16 PM (UTC)
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Just wait for the game. You won't be disappointed in this regard. lol.

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